Note from Darin (admin): this installment is part of a series posted by Phil (aerohead) about the effectiveness of various aero mods - usually with quotations and citations to source data.
See the Aero mods data index here.
End note.
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After a month of pouring over my notes I decided to quit looking any deeper. An associate of Bucky Fuller has commented "Sooner or later you've got to shoot the engineer,or nothing ever gets built," citing Fuller's inability to "finish" anything, and constant noodling and modification of his designs. And so as not to fall into the same trap, I've cut off my research into boat-tails and will post now instead of later.
I've waited 'til the end ( yes it's a pun ) to comment on aftbodies,as I believe it remains the least understood aspect of streamlining,deserving of the most space,time,and attention.
Since it IS a lot of material,I'll break it down into more bite-size bits,beginning with a brief historical timeline.
GENERAL NOTE: As aerodynamics is but a branch of fluid-mechanics,it will serve ecomodders to look beyond vehicles for shape and form inspiration. Presently,the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is attempting to build a robotic tuna. The United States Navy has been trying to unlock the mystery of dolphin swim-speed since 1962 without success.Present nuclear submarine design has taken a leap backwards to the fish-shaped 1900 USS Holland, The United State's first submarine,designed by an out of work schoolteacher. NASA is trying to design "tail-less" aircraft,to reduce drag,and they are also attempting "body-morphing" technology for aircraft, based on stooping Perrigrine Falcons, which plummet to Earth,wings folded,at up to 257-mph ( 414 km/h ).
The list is endless.
Rockets, jets, airplanes, sailplanes, Zeppelins, blimps, artillery projectiles, bullets, land-speed-record cars, hydroplanes,trains, trucks, buses, turbines, pumps, bridge foundations, insects, ships, boats, canoe, yachts, kayak, sail-boards, Yale racing skulls, submarines, torpedoes, whale, dolphin,shark, seal, rays, turtle, fish, squid, alligator, crocodile, tadpoles,etc..
They are all fair game in fluid mechanics!